Zinc is a necessary component for the functioning of more than 300 different enzymes and plays a vital role in a large number of biological processes. Zinc is a cofactor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and is in a number of enzymatic reactions involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism.
Zinc has a well-recognized importance as an immune-enhancing cofactor necessary for the regulation of T lymphocytes, CD4 cells, natural killer cells, and interleukin-2. In addition, it has been claimed that zinc possesses antiviral activity. Zinc is necessary for the maturation of sperm and normal fetal development. It is involved in sensory perception (taste, smell, and vision) and controls the release of stored vitamin A from the liver. In the endocrine system, zinc has been shown to regulate insulin activity and promote the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine to triiodothyronine.
Zinc, in the form of e.g. zinc sulfate, zinc gluconate or zinc acetate has been administered orally to humans in the form of pills dissolvable in the gastric system or in the form of lozenges dissolvable in the saliva of the mouth. It is known that in domesticated animals zinc gluconate e.g. baked into dog biscuits is beneficial in curing e.g. halitosis in dogs (U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,836) or added in powdery form to animal feed for improving the immune system response of domesticated animals. Danish Patent Application PA 199901119 describes the use of zinc gluconate in a dietary supplement for pigs useable in the treatment of lung disease in pigs.
Oral administration of zinc to humans in the form of tablets or pills is well recognized as a necessary dietary supplement and vitamin pills comprising zinc e.g. in the form of zinc gluconate are commonly sold in many countries of the world. A daily dose of 10 mg zinc is considered adequate as a dietary supplement.
In the farming industry, piglets which have been removed from the sow before the end of the natural suckling period are routinely fed dietary supplements comprising zinc oxides to prevent diarrhea. This praxis is known to increase the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the pig pens of the farming industry.
A particular problem with the administration of zinc to mammals is the low uptake of zinc in the digestive system. E.g. only 20% of added zinc is taken up by the digestive system when administered as pills of zinc oxide. The remaining zinc is excreted in the feces.
The current inventor has therefore realized the need for an improved source of zinc and other minerals for mammalian dietary supplements which can hinder, prevent, or even treat infestations with MRSA.